Pick Up Shows!

I've had a lot of Pick Up shows recently and I have to tell you, I like it!

For those of you who aren't theater-nerds, a "Pick-Up Show" is when a team or a group of improvisers have a show scheduled and for some reason, their roster is light on performers. The available performers call their friends and colleagues to come "pick up" the show and perform with them. Usually, they perform under another name, so as not to confuse their fans.

Because someday, in theory, an improv team might be good enough to actually attract fans.

Anyways, I've had a rash of Pick-Up Shows recently and I really like that.

I play with SassyPatch on some late Saturday nights, semi-regularly. We perform Adult-Oriented Improv, which is to say that we perform a normal improv show, but we try, if we can to logically hump one another onstage whenever we can. We also use a lot of profanity and discuss sex and sexuality and sex and sex. That's the show where you might see Mark Henderson running around with his shirt off. And nobody needs to see THAT.

Last Friday, I had a Pick-Up Show with Rene Duquesnoy and some folks from DSI. I'd had a really good day and was feeling CRAZILY funny. I ran all over that show, working my ass off out there, playing as aggressively as I could. And with only 4 people in the show, you almost HAD to play hard. I had a great time playing with Rene and Justin and Meredith. It was a blast.

Tonight, I'm performing a 3 man show. Me and Kathy Betts and Kyna Lenhof. I think that Kyna booked the show, but forgot to get a cast set up. So, Kathy was calling me to see if I could play. I told her that I would. So, it'll be just me and the girls up there. 3 man show means, work hard and edit frequently and don't ever, ever relax. So, that's what I'm looking forward to.

I like being the guy that people call, if they need to add some players to the show.
I like to think that it means that they really want to play with me, but just haven't found the right show or team to make that happen consistently.
While I might not have been on their mind when they originally cast the show, I'mon their mind now. And they've picked me as the guy that they'd like to play with, with a moments notice.

It implies a level of trust there that I genuinely appreciate.

So, yes, if you end up at Ginger's Ale House tonight and you see a funny fat guy up there improvising his ass off with two pretty ladies, it might just be me. Buy me a drink! I'll need it.

Cheers,
Mr. B